Khotachiwadi is well known for its heritage bungalows but not as much for its chawls. A chawl is one of the most iconic archetype of Mumbai and can be found in the older parts of the city. Girgaum is well known for having some of the most beautiful and oldest chawls in Mumbai. Many of them are decrepit. The rent control act which froze rents at postwar levels is often blamed for making it impossible for building owners to maintain their properties. But it has also allowed working class people to stay in a part of the city which has now become unaffordable even for the middle and upper middle classes.

Some of Khotachiwadi’s chawls, notably, No 14, are up to 150 years old and vibrant with life. These pages explore this side of Khotachiwadi through the stories of its residents. The chawls are indeed just as central to the history and identity of Khotachiwadi as its famed Konkan-Portuguese styled elegant bungalows.